Hoisting and conveying mechanism.



No. 7|3,909. Patented Nov. l8, |902..

W. MclNTOSH.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM (Application filed Oct 8. IDOL) (NoModel.) s Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 78.909 Patented Nov. l8. I902.

W. McINTOSH.

HUISTINGAND CONVEYING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Oct. 8. 190K.) (No Model. 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented Nov. I8, I902.

W. MCINTUSH.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Oct, 8. 1901.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCINTOSII, OF CLINTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 713,909, dated November18, 1902.

pplication filed October 8, 1901.

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Molrrrosn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clinton, in the county of \Vorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Hoisting and ConveyingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to improve hoisting and conveyingapparatus used in excavating or loading and unloading.

The improvements particularly relate to improved means for supportingthe operating rope or ropes and to a means for automatically controllingthe supporting devices.

The form of mechanism to which my invention most particularly relates isthat now in common use for excavating. This consists of two towersbetween which a strong suspension means is arranged, this means usuallyconsisting of a heavy cable. Traveling on this cable is a carriage.Running to this carriage are the operating-ropes, which usually consistof an endless running rope for traveling the carriage back and forth onthe supporting-cable, a hoisting-rope,and a (lumpingrope for the bucket.These ropes pass over pulleys to windlasses or drums operated by anengine. \Vhen a device of this kind is used to span a considerabledistance, it is necessary to provide means depending from thesupporting-cable for supporting the operating rope or ropes. This meansconsists of what are termed carriers, which are small frames carryingpulleys over which the operating rope or ropes pass. As the carriagemoves back and forth, it is obvious that it is necessary to leave thesesupporting-carriers at proper distances apart along and depending fromthe supporting-cable. The common way of doing this is to use what isknown as a button-line between the two towers. This button-line consistsof a rope stretched between the two towers, having buttons of varyingsizes attached thereto at proper distances apart for the purpose ofdistributing the carriers by disengaging the same from the carriage. Notonly is this button-line an expensive part, but it is inefficient inoperation in practice, as it is apt to clog or stick the various parts.It then becomes necessary to send a man out along the cable to repairthe breakdown. This is an extremely dangerous Serial No. 77,939. (Nomodel.)

and hazardous undertaking. This buttonline is the main source of troublein operating devices of this character.

The object of this improvement is to do away with this button-line andto provide a positive,sure,and accurately-operating mechanism fordistributing the carriers at predetermined distances along thesuspensioncable. To do this, I provide a new and improved means oroperating mechanism, preferably carried and located upon the carriageitself, which is actuated by the movement of the carriage in such manneras to release and deposit the carriers in their proper positionsdepending from the supporting-cable. This mechanism is so arranged thatno matter how the carriage is traveled backward or forward the carrierswill always be distributed at the proper distances apart. The novelty ofmy operating mechanism for this purpose resides in the fact that ahorizontal pusher or detacher is used and arranged to engage and detachthe outermost of the series of carriers. Another point of noveltythereof resides in the fact that this horizontal pusher isspringactuated, which spring is set and released by a mechanism whichsubstantially forms a trigger mechanism, so that the pusher will operateonly when the carriage reaches the proper point, and then very quickly.

By this improvement not only is the buttonline entirely done away with,making a considerable saving in the construction and erection of thestructure, as there is one less rope to stretch, but the samehas theadvantage of positive operation and the further advantage that in caseof clogging the carriage can be pulled to one side of the apparatus andthe necessary adjustment and repair made without sending a man out onthe cable.

The accompanying three sheets of drawings, forming part of thisapplication, show one specific way of practicing my invention inconnection with the specific apparatus just described.

Referring to said drawings, Figure l is a partial side elevation of anapparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevationof the carriage. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is an endelevation of one of the supporting-carriers. Fig. 5 is an enlargedsectional view taken on the line 5 5 ICO of Fig. 4, showing theconstruction of what I hereinafter term thesupporting-clips. Fig. 6 is aview similar to Fig. 2 with the parts in a different position. Fig. 7 isa detail view of the latched operating-lever. Fig. 8 is a detail planview of a spring mechanism used to control the carriage, and Fig. 9 is adetail sectional view illustrating the mounting of a part I term thepusher.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, A A designate two towers. Thesetowers are usually mounted on tracks, and extending outwardly from eachtower is a large weighted frame or support, which frames or supports areusually mounted upon supplemental tracks. These last parts are notshown, as they are of common construction.

B designates an engine which for the purpose of illustration is shown inthe tower A, although it is usually placed on the extending weightedpart of the tower to help balance the parts. It is shown in the presentposition for the purpose of illustration.

S designates the suspension or supporting cable, which is extendedbetween the two towers. (J designates the carriage, which is arranged tomove back and forth on said cable. One or more operating-ropes extend tosaid carriage. When a device of this kind is used in locations wherethere is a considerable distance between the two towers, it becomesnecessary to support the operating-ropes extending to the carriage sothat they will come in proper position and so that they will notinterfere with each other.

F designates a number of supporting-carriers. These carriers arearranged to hang from the suspension-cable and to carry pulleys, ashereinafter described, for supporting the operating-ropes. The problemin connection with these carriers is to disconnect them, one after theother, at predetermined distances of the travel of the carriagesay everyone hundred feet-and leave the same hanging from the supporting-cableand supporting and positioning the operating-ropes. My improvement, ashereinafter described, consists of a most efficient mechanism for thispurpose, having the advantages previously recited. Generally threeoperating-ropes are used-one to travel the carriage back and forth, oneto lift the bucket, and one to dump the bucket.

In the drawings,E designates the rope which is used to travel thecarriage back and forth on the cable. This rope is sometimes called theendless rope. The end of the same is attached to the left-hand end ofthe carriage, and the same then passes around sheaves 11 and 12 in thetower A, back to the tower A, around sheave 13 to a suitable drum, whichis operated by the engine, and then from this drum around a suitablesheave 14 back to the carriage, to which it is secured. By travelingthis rope in one direction or the other the carriage will be pulledpositively forward or backward on the suspension-cable.

H designates the hoisting-rope. The same passes from its drum aroundsheave 15 in tower A, in between the frames 16 and 17 of the carriage C,over a sheave 18, journaled on a stud fitted between said frames, downover a pulley 19, supporting the hoistingbucket I, back up over a pulley20, journaled on a stud secured between the said carriageframes, andthen down again to the bucketcarrying frame, to which the end of therope is secured. It is evident that by taking up or letting out on thisrope the bucket will be raised or lowered.

D designates the dumping-rope. The same passes from its operating-drumover a pulley in tower A, parallel with the pulley 15, to a guide-pulley21, mounted on astud secured in the frame 16 of the carriage, to apulley 22, journaled on a stud secured between the carriage-frames 16and 17, down to a pulley 23, journaled in a frame 24, which connects bya rod 25 to one side of the bucket, back up over a pulley 26, journaledon the same stud as pulley 22, and then down again to the frame 24, towhich the end of the rope is secured.

When the carriage is traveled back and forth on the suspension-cable,the hoisting and dumping ropes are taken up or let out to compensate forthis movement. When the operating-rope is operated to raise or lower thebucket, the dumping-rope is operated therewith, but in such way as notto tip the bucket over. When it is desired to dump the bucket, thedumping-rope is taken up, tipping the bucket over in the frame andemptying the contents thereof. The arrangement of the drums andwindlasses for operating these ropes in this manner is not shown ordescribed at length in this case, as the same is well understood andforms no part of the present invention.

The carriage C has a large supportingsheave 27, which fits on thesupporting-cable S and which is rigidly secured on an axle or shaft 28,journaled in the frames 16 and 17 of the carriage. The carriage is alsosupported by another sheave 29, which runs on said supporting-cable andwhich is journaled on a stud secured in said frames, as shown. Arrangedon the end of the shaft 28 of the supporting-sheave 27 is asprocket-pinion 30, which is geared by a sprocket-chain 31 to asprocket-gear 32, journaled on a stud 33, secured in the frame 16. Itwill thus be seen that as the carriage is traveled back and forth on thecable the gear 32 will be rotated at a comparatively slow speed, as thesprocketchain is arranged to decrease the speed. Said gear 32 has anumber of holes in the same, into any one of which a pin 34 can beinserted.

35 designates a bracket which is secured to and which extends up fromthe frame 16. A lever 36 is mounted on a pivot 37, secured in thisframe. The end of this lever is provided with a latch 38, which has ashoulder 380 and which latch is kept in normal position by a spring 381,as shown in Fig. 7. By

this construction it will be seen that the latch can be moved to theright from the position shown in Fig. 7, but that pressure on the latchto the left will move the lever 36. The lever 36 comes to adjustedposition to the right by striking against a bushing 39, which iseccentrically mounted on a stud 390, secured in said bracket 35. Byturning this bushing on the stud the bearing-point on said lever can beadjusted. Said lever connects by a link 40 to a lever 41, mounted on apivot 42, projecting from a bracket43, secured to the frame 16. A strongspring 44 is arranged between said bracket 43 and the lever 36, and thesame tends to pull said lever 36 normally to the right and to keep thesame normally against the bushing 39. The end of the lever 41 isslotted, and. fitting in said slot is a screw or pin 45, which issecured on a part 46 I term a pusher. This pusher is mounted in guides47, projecting from the frame 16, so as to be capable of a longitudinalsliding movement, and the same is kept in position by means of a spring460, which is mounted on one pin and pressed into engagement with thepusher by means of another pin, as shown in Fig. 9.

48 designates a part1 term the born. The same has a hooked end-that is,it has an incline 480 running down to a point and an in cline 481running up to the high point of the incline 480. This horn is arrangedto pick up and carry the supporting-carriers. Each of thesesupporting-carriers is substantially the same, and one of these carriersis shown in detail in Fig. 4. The same consists of two inner frames 4949 and two outer frames 490 490. Between the tops of these frames isarranged a small roller 50, running on a stud under which the horn 48catches. A stud 51 is secured between said frames, and the same carriesspring-clips 52, as shown, to engage the suspension-cable S and bite onthe same to keep the carrier in place, even if there is considerable sagor incline to the supportingcable. These clips are circular or curved inhorizontal cross-section where they bear on the supporting cable forthis purpose, as shown in Fig. 5. Secured between one frame 49 and theframe 490 is a stud 53, on which runs a roll or small sheave 530 forsupporting and positioning the hoisting-rope H. Secured between theother frames 49 and 490 is a stud 54, on which a similar roll or smallsheave 540 is mounted for supporting and positioning the dumpingrope D.A campiece 56 is secured on each carrier, as shown, the purpose of whichcam-piece is to cause the carrier to raise or lift when engaged by theend of the pusher. To keep the carriers in position on the end of thehorn and to prevent them from accidentally becoming disengaged, Iprovide the following mechanism: A link 57 is secured by means of asuitable stud to the link 40, previously described. This link 57connects to a lever 58, mounted on a pivot 59, secured in the bracket43, extending up from the frame 16. The end of this lever connects to arod 60, which is secured to a bar 61, as shown in Fig. 8. Also extendingfrom this bar is a rod 62, these rods being journaled or mounted inbearings 63, secured to the frames 16 and 17. The rod 62 is extendedthrough the bar 61 and is preferably secured thereto, and another rod 64is arranged to extend from said bar 61. Fitting loosely on the ends ofthese rods 62 and 64 is a push-bar 65, the ends of said rods 62 and 64being headed over to keep said push-bar in place, although the same fitsloosely on said rods. Springs 66 are arranged on said rods 62 and 64,between the bar 61 and the bar 65. By this means a yielding abutment isprovided for pushing on the bunch of carriers on the horn.

The operation of the device is as follows: The carriage is firstprovided with as many carriers as is deemed proper for the particularlength of suspension cable, and the sprocket-gearing is arranged tooperate in connection with the particular number of carriersselected-that is to say, a number of sprocketpinions are provided ofdifferent sizes and the particular one selected is secured on the shaft28, and by adding or taking out a few links of the chain 31 the properrelation is obtained with the sprocket-gearing to operate, ashereinafter described. The operating-ropes are trained over the smallsupporting-pulleys arranged in the supporting-carriers. Suppose now thatthe carriage starts from its position at the right and moves to the leftthe distance which it is considered proper to leave one of thesupporting-carrierssay sixty, eighty, or one hundred feet. The pin 34 isso adjusted in the gear 32 that when the carriage reaches this positionit will just engage the latch on the end of the lever 36. Now as thecarriage continues its movement to the left said pin will move saidlever 36 and by means of the previously-described connections will movethe pusher to the right to lift the outermost carrier over the highpoint of the born, as shown in Fig. 2. The continued movement of thecarriage will then push this carrier off of the end of the horn and dropthe same down on the supporting-cable. This outermostcarrier can belifted and kicked off the horn in this manner, as the movement to theleft of the lever 36 will release the spring-relieved push-bar fromcontact with theinnermost carrier. The incline 461 on the horn is madecomparatively steep and abrupt, so that when the parts are in theirnormal positions the springrelief rod or bar 65 will bear on theinnermost of the carriers and will hold the series of carriers tightlyin place up against said incline. This will keep the series of carrierson the horn bunched together, so that they cannot rattle off or becomeaccidentally detached therefrom. When the pusher is to operate, thismechanism will be moved back, so as to relieve the pressure on theseries of carriers, whereby the pusher can easily and readily detach theoutermost of the series of carriers. When the detaching action has takenplace, this mechanism will push the remaining carriers up toward theincline 481 on the horn, thus pushing what is then the outermost carrierinto proper position for the next detaching operation, and thus bunchingthe remaining carriers against said incline. So soon as the carrier bythis continued movement to the left causes the pin 34 to pass the lever36 the heavy spring 44 will bring the parts back to the position shownin Fig. 2 and will cause the spring-relieved push-bar to engage and keepthe remaining carriers in position on the horn. When the carriagetravels another predetermined distance to the left,anothersupporting-carrier will be dropped off the horn in a similarmanner. This action will take place as the carriage moves to the left.When the carriage moves to the right, the mechanism before describedwill not be actuated, as the pin 34 will simply ratchet under the latch38 without actuating the lever 36. As the carriage moves to the rightthe pointed end of the horn will engage under the roller 50 of thecarriers and will pick the same up. A plank or board is usually placedon the end of the carriage to receive the impact or blow of the contactof the carriers as they are picked up in this manner, as in practicaloperation the carriage is moved very rapidly. In this way it will beseen that a carrier is deposited or kicked off at a predetermined pointon the cable and that the same operation leaves the carrier at the sameplace, or substantially the same place, no matter how the carriage ismoved, forward or backward, or what the extent of these movements is.

It is an especially advantageous operation to have the means whichoperates the carriers engage and move only the outermost carrier, as theremaining carriers are not disturbed and there is no possibility ofdetaching but one carrier at a time. It is also a particularlyadvantageous point to have the detaching means operate only when thecarriage reaches a position in its travel near a point where a carrieris to be detached, as by this arrangement the carriers will beaccurately distributed and always left at the same point, and the wearand tear of the incessant backward and forward motions of the carriagewithin the limits of the points where the carriers are to be detached orpicked up will not come on the detaching mechanism. In this manner theoperating-ropes extending to the carriage from the tower A will beproperly supported and positioned so as not to interfere with eachother.

By adjusting the gearing as before described the kick-off can take placeat anydistance desired. It will also be seen that by this constructionthe button-line is entirely eliminated. It will also be seen that theconstruction of the carriers is much simplified, as they do not have tobe provided with means to support or engage the button-line.

Usually it is not necessary to support the traveling rope which retu rnsfrom the towerA to the tower A or that portion of the traveling ropewhich is at the left of the carriage, as indicated in the presentdrawings. It is obvious, however, that by properly proportioning thecarriers, both parts of this traveling rope can be supported, and thatby using a duplicate set of carriers, operated in the same manner at theleft of the carriage, that part of this rope which is at the left of thecarriage can be supported along the length of the suspension-cable.

While I have shown and described the invention as applied to onespecific form of hoisting or conveying mechanism on a supporting-cable,it is evident that the automatic idea is capable of application to allapparatus of this general character.

It is considered good practice in the apparatus previously described toslush the supporting-cable once in a while with heavy oil or grease.This generally is done by hand. To do away with this hand operation, Iprovide the following mechanism: A cylinder 67 is secured on the ends ofthe frames 16 and 17 of the carriage. This cylinder is provided with avalved outlet 68. A piston 69 is fitted into said cylinder and has a bar70 extending across its top. This bar 70 is pulled down by springs 71.When it is desired to slush the suspension-cable, the cylinder 67 isfilled with the proper material, which can be done by removing thepiston. The piston is then put in place in the cylinder, the valve 68 isopened the proper degree, and the springs 71 will force the piston downinto the cylinder, and this will force the slush out through the valve.Then by traveling the carriage back and forth the length of the cable asmany times as desired the cable can be properly treated.

I have described the foregoing device and means in detail as com plyingwith the statute which requires me, as a prerequisite to obtaining apatent, to describe the best form of mechanism now known to me forcarrying out my invention.

The foregoing means is the best form of mechanism now known to me forthe beforerecited purposes; but I do not wish to be limited in the broadclaims which I make in this application to the details of suchmechanism, as other plans and arrangements can be devised by a skilledmechanic without departing from the scope thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a hoisting or conveying apparatus, suspension means, a carriagetraveling thereon, an operating rope or ropes extending to the carriage,a series of supporting-carriers for the operating rope or ropes, a horncarried by the carriage for supporting said carriers, a horizontalpusher arranged to engage only the outermost carrier on the horn, andmeans actuated by the travel of the carriage for operating said pusher.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a carriage having asupporting-horn, a number of supporting-carriers mounted on said horn, aspring-actuated pusher arranged to engage only the outermost carrier onthe horn, and a trigger mechanism for setting said spring and releasingthe pusher, arranged to operate only when the carriage reaches aposition in its travel near the point where a carrier is to be detached.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a carriage having asupporting-horn, a number of supporting-carriers mounted on said horn, ahorizontally-moving pusher arranged to engage only the outermost of saidcarriers, a spring for actuating said pusher, and a trigger mechanismactuated by the travel of the carriage in one direction only for settingsaid spring and releasing said pusher, arranged to operate only when thecarriage reaches a position in its travel near the point where a carrieris to be detached.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a carriage having asupporting-horn, a number of supporting-carriers mounted on said horn,means for engaging and detaching the outermost carrier on the horn,holding means for keeping the carriers bunched together in position onthe horn, and means for releasing the holding means as an outermostcarrier is engaged and kicked off the horn.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a traveling carriage havingsheaves running on the suspension means, and a horn, a number ofsupporting-carriers mounted on the horn, a pusher for detaching saidcarriers from the horn, connections for operating the pusher from one ofsaid sheaves, and a cam mounted on each of said carriers in position sothat the pusher will lift up the outermost carrier and push the same offthe end of the horn.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a carriage having sheavesrunning on the suspension means, and a horn, a number of supportingcarriers mounted on the horn, a pusher for detaching said carriers oneat a time from the horn, a wheel operated by the travel of the carriageand having a projecting pin, a latched lever operated by said pin, andconnections from the same to the pusher, whereby the pusher will only beactuated as the carriage moves in one direction.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a carriage having sheavesrunning on the suspension means, and a horn, a number of supportingcarriers mounted on the horn, a pusher for detaching said carriers oneat a time from the horn, a wheel operated by the travel of the carriageand having a projecting pin, a latched lever operated by said pin,connections from the same to the pusher, whereby the pusher will only beactuated as the carriage moves in one direction, a spring for keepingthe lever in normal position, and adjusting means for determining thisnormal position.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a traveling carriage havingsheaves running on the suspension means, and a horn, a number ofsupporting-carriers carried by the horn, a pusher for detaching thecarriers from the horn, a holding mechanism having a springrelief forkeeping the carriers bunched together on the horn, means for operatingthe pusher, and for withdrawing the spring-pressure of the holdingmechanism as the pusher operates.

1'). In an apparatus of the class described, a carriage having sheavesrunning on the suspension means, and a horn, a number ofsupportingcarriers mounted on the horn, a pusher for detaching the carriers one ata time from the horn, a holding means for keeping the bunch of carrierstogether on the end of the horn, consisting of two rods having apush-bar loosely fitted on the ends thereof, and springs bearing on saidpush-bar, whereby a spring-relief is provided, and means for withdrawingsaid rods as the pusher operates to detach a supporting-carrier.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, a carriage having sheavesand a born, a pusher mounted in ways on said carriage so as to becapable of a horizontal motion, the end of said pusher being broughtinto position near the end of said horn, so that the same will engagethe outermost of a series of supporting-carriers, and connections fromone of said sheaves for actuating said pusher.

11. A supporting-carrier for the purpose described, consisting of framescarrying small supporting pulleys or sheaves, and springclips curved inhorizontal cross-section extending down therefrom in position to biteand hold the carrier in position on the suspension means.

12. A supporting-carrier for the purpose described, consisting of twoinner frames and two outer frames secured together at the top, a studconnecting the same under which the horn of the carriage can engage, androlls or pulleys journaled on studs secured between each part of theouter frame and one of the inner frames, and between the two members ofthe inner frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

\VILLIA M MOINTOSH.

Witnesses:

LoUIs W. SOUTHGATE, JOHN B. GILMORE.

